Improvement in windmills



UNITED STATES' JOHN M. MAY, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN W INDM|LL,S.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,964, dated February 15, 1859.

l.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. MAY, of Janesville, in the county of Rock and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Im` provement in the Manner of Constructing Windmills; and I do hereby declare that the following,l is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of wind-wheels, whereby the,`

following advantages are secured: first, simplicity, durability, compactness, and portability; second, a positive and uniform circular movement imparted to each of the sails, and, third, a perfect automatic movement of the sails and a security against any damage that might result from a disconnection of the horizontal and perpendicular parts of the machine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

Figure l is a perspective view of the windmill, the housing or covering being removed.`

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the windmill with the housing in its place.

Fig. 4 represents the housing separate from the windmill and in detached parts. Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications of the standard, showing its importance in different modes of its application.

A is the frame-work which receives and supports the working mechanism of the windmill.

B isa central vertical shaft, having its lower end in the step O and passing up through the head a of the frame.

D is a vertical tubular revolving standard, the tubular portion (l of which is fitted over the upper part of the central shaft B and passes through the head c of the frame, and has its bearing in step b, situate a short distance below the head a of the frame. This is done by reducing the diameter of the tubularpart d near its lower end and forming a shoulder thereby, so that the lower endtof the tube passes through and the shoulder rests on the plate b, and on which the en-tire working part of the wind-wheel rests and revolves, being kept in its position bythe head aand step b. The upper part of the standard is `provided with a square aperture or box c, for a `purpose presently to b-e stated. Between this box c and the tubular part d of the standard is a recess e to receive the bevel cog gear-wheel E, which is fastened firmly to the upper end of the shaft B. Vrlhe upper end of this shaft has bearings at f and g above and below the gear-wheel E, and also a bearing at the lower end of the tubular part dof the standard, thus providing several bearings :for the standard and shaft, thereby giving a `very iirm support and one not liable to get out of true.

F is the axle of the wind-wheel. It passes through and is firmly fastened to the box o. The front part h, Fig. 2, of this axle is the arm of the axle, on which the wind-wheel revolves, and the rear part forms the stein of the vane G, which guides the wind-wheel to the Wind current as the wind blows from different directions. When it is desirable to use a solid horizontal revolving shaft instead of the axle F, the form of the standard is modiiied, as is shown in Fig. 5, and the bearings for the journals of the shaft are on either side of the gear-wheels E2 at a', and when it is desirable to use a crank-gear E instead of gearwheelsthe form of the standard is modified, as shown in Fig, 6, with bearings for the journals of the crank-shaft at c', and the tubular portion d of thelstandard becomes the guide for the vertical piston or shaft B. In both of these `modifications the vane may be attached to the standard, as shown in Fig. 5, and in both the wind-wheel is built to the shafts and revolves with them.

, H is the wind-wheel, composed, mainly, of the following several parts: It is provided with a suitable number of arms I, which radiate from the hub J. To these arms and to the hub the stems j of the sails are attached, so as to be capable of revolving easily on their radial axes. On the inner end of each of the stems near the hub is fastened a cogsegment k.

K is a sliding collar or thimble fitting loosely over the tube or pipe boxL of the wind-wheel and is feathered to the pipe-boX, so that in the cog-segments on the stems of the sails, and

as the thimble is moved back and forth on the pipe-box' they cause the stems of the sails to revolve on their radial axes, thereby giving the sails diiferent degrees of Obliquity to the wind-current, as the necessity of the case may require. By this arrangement of cogsegments 7c and the rack-bars Z a uniform power is produced on the sails by the application of force to the cog-segments at points equidistant from the stems of the sails. The pipe-box L of the hub of the wind-wheel turns easily on the arms of the axle 71, and the end next the standard has fastened to it the bevel cog gear-wheel M, which gears into the cog gear-Wheel E, thereby transmitting motion from the Wind-wheel to the center shaft B.

On the lower portion of the center shaft B, I provide and arrange a governor similar to that shown in the drawings,having pins or set-screws m, the heads of which butt against the shaft when at rest, and by which the balls n may be adjusted to any desired distance from the shaft by turning the screws, which, by necessity, as will presently appear, also places the sails in any'desired Obliquity. The upper end of this governor terminates in a thimble or slide o, which is feathered to the shaft B, and revolves with and moves vertically on the shaft when the governorballs act. The upper end of this thimble has a groove around its circumference to receive the prongs or forks of the clutch p, the prongs of which iit easily in the groove. To the head of the clutch is attached by screws or otherwise the vertical adjust-ing-rod N, whicheXtends from t-he clutch and thimble of the governor up through the guides q and t to the double-grooved thimble O, with which it connects by horizontal prongs on its upper end, which fit easily the lower groove. Instead of the clutch p, the rod N may be made in two parts and lapped and bolted together, being provided with a series of holes or slots to allow of lengthening and shortening, as the case may require. The lower part of the rod should be made with horizontal prongs, fitting easily the groove ot' the thimble O. Also, there may be two grooves on this thimble, one for receiving the lower part of the rod N and the other to receive the forked end of a horizontal lever g, the use of which will be soon explained.

O is a thimble fitting loosely on the tubular -1 part dof the standard D, and has two grooves around its circumference, one to receive the This thimble is provided prongs or forks of the adj listing-rod N and the other to receive the points of one of the forks of the double-forked elbow-lever l), by which it is suspended and moved vertically on the tubular part d of the standard as it is acted on through the forks, thus affording a means at once cheap, safe, perfect, and durable in receiving and transmitting power at right angles Without the use of either bolt, pivot, or joint. This thimble communicates with the sliding thimble K by means of the double-forked lever P, the forks on each arm of this lever being so curved that the points of each fork fit the grooves easily and on opposite sides of the respective thimbles. supported at its angle by a projection s of the standard D at the proper distance to allow the forks of the vertical arm of the lever to reach a distance equal to the center of the horizontal shaft or axle and the forks of the horizontal arm of the lever to reach as far as the center of the perpendicular shaft. The points of the forks moving freely in the vgrooves of the thimbles, the thimbles moving freely on their respective shafts or bearings, and the power received and applied rcciprocatingthrough the thimbles and forked elbow-lever being nearly at right angles with the shafts, the movement of the thimbles is necessarily parallel with their respective shafts, whereby all torsion, binding', and oblique bearing are avoided in communicating power alternately to and from the horizontal and perpendicular shafts. y I

Q is a horizontal or curved lever attached t a part for a fulcrum, and one arm is attached by a fork or bolt to the thimble O orthe clutch p, or to the adjusting-rod N, and by moving the other arm of this lever the sails will be revolved on their radial axes, or the sails may be held at'any desired angle by fastening this lever, and thus the windmill may be controlled independently of its self-regulating properties. It will now be seen that the connection or communication between the governor and the wind-wheel for self-regulating purposes is by the adjusting-rod N, the thimble O on the standard, the double-forked elbow, the thimble K, and ratchets operating the cog-segments on the stems of the sails.

When the wind-wheel is in motion, it cornmunicates power through the bevel gearwheels to the center shaft B, near the lower end of which power is communicated to propel machinery. The same motion of the shaft B also moves the governor, and should the wind-wheel attain too great velocity the governor-balls at once expand, and, through the medium j ust referred to, the sails are reversed on their radial axes, less surface of sail eX- posed to the wind-current, or an Obliquity of sail presented that gives less power, and the momentum is checked, when the balls by gravitating force tend to revolve the sails to an Obliquity, giving more power again, thus The elbow-lever P is hinged andv equalizing the power automatically of the ever-varying winds, the whole wind-wheel and upper machinery revolving horizontally on the ltubular part of the standard D to meet the winds.

I also provide an additional or auxiliary governing power by fastening weighted levers or arms R firmly to each of the stems of the sails and extending them forward at right angles or other proper angle with the face of the sails, whereby when the wheel is in motion the centrifugal force of the weight changes the obliquity of the sails, giving as the velocity of the wind-wheel increases less and less surface to the wind-current. These auxiliary governors act in conjunction and union with the principal governor on the shaft B, and in case the principal governor becomes disabled or the machinery broken or deranged these auxiliary governors become the main governors for being in the wind-wheel itself, and, in fact, a part of the wind-Wheel having no machinery Whatever and not liable to be out of repair, will be of great value in governing the wind-wheel and preventing damage to the mill by keeping the speed reduced to a low rate.

For the purpose of protecting the gearing of the machine, I provide a covering S and T,

Figs. 3 and 4. Section S is a roof composed of two inclined planes, which are fastened to the standard D by the stems t tand the block u. One part of this roof is made fast to the block u and the other part extends down a short distance from the ridge and overlaps the first part so as to make it tight. A few inches one side of the ridge the roof is hinged by ears o o and the pivots w, so that it may be raised for oiling and adjusting the machinery. This section serves more particularly to protect the machinery more directly connected with the standard. Section T -is a cylindrical covering, which more particularly protects the gearing of the wind-Wheel and is composed of two parts a: and Figs. 3 and 4. The part c is provided with a series of open slots y in its periphery for the purpose of admitting the arms I, as shown in the drawings, and it is slipped to its place over the hub and gearing of the Wind-wheel, the termination of these slots being so shaped as to fit the arms closely and allow the stems of the sails to revolve freely. The part a1 is made to pass over and fit closely to the part a: and the end next the arms is made with recesses to iit the arms snugly and allow the stems of the sails to revolve freely, while the opposite end is made with a flange z to prevent storms and rains from running over onto the machinery. The iianged end of section T is overhung by the front end of section S a short distance for a greater security against the elements. These sections are so arranged relatively to each other that th ey are moved together, While the wind-Wheel revolves in the path of a horizontal circle; but when the wind-Wheel turns in the path of a vertical circle section S remains stationary, while section T revolves with the wind-Wheel and in the same direction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A standard D, arranged in the head ct of the frame-work and so constructed that it serves as a guide for the central vertical shaft B, receptacle for gear E or gear E or gear E2, support and axis for the horizontal axle or shaft of the wind-Wheel, and as a guide for the sliding thimble O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Furnishing each of the stelns of the sails with a cogged segment for the purpose of revolving the sails on their radial axes, the segments being operated by cogged rack-bars attached to the sliding thimble K, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The arrangement consisting of the main governor and the forked adjustingsrod N, connected with each other, for the purpose of operating the thimble O in regulating or controlling the Wind-wheel, as set forth.

4. Providing each of the stems of the sails with a weighted arm projecting forward of the front surface of the sails, for the purpose of governing the velocity of the wind-Wheel by regulating the Obliquity of the sails to the wind-current, substantially as set forth.

5. The covering made in two sections, which are constructed and arranged as shown, the tubular section T revolving with the wind- Wheel independently of section S When the windmill moves in the path of a vertical circle and with it when the wind-wheel moves in the path of a horizontal circle, as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN M. MAY.

Witnesses:

RoBr. W. FENWIcK, JAS. A. BIRCH. 

